How does this course work?

This is a free course. Enroll today and get access to all of the materials instantly. The lecture video and other materials are available any time.

How long do I have access to the materials?

For free courses there is no guarantee for how long the course materials will be available.

Is there a certificate of completion?

Certificates of completion are only provided to HeatSpring Membership subscribers. This course has not been approved by any credentialing organizations (NABCEP, AIA, USGBC etc) for Continuing Education Credits (CEUs). This course is for self education purposes only and completion does not indicate a level of professional expertise or credential.

Can I register multiple people?

Yes, this is a free course so you can share this page with other people from your group.

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How long do I have access to the materials?

Students have unlimited access to the course materials for one year (365 days) after enrollment in a course. After the one year of access expires, students can extend access to the course materials by joining as a HeatSpring member. A single membership extends access to all past courses and also includes access to any updates made by the instructors, learn more about HeatSpring Membership.

What is a HeatSpring course?

A HeatSpring course is an online learning experience that will expose you to a wealth of new information, challenge you, provide a unique opportunity to learn directly from an expert in your industry, connect you with a network of peers, and, ultimately, transform your career. Your journey begins the moment you enroll and gain access to your online training materials.

Our courses are delivered through our platform and are taught by expert instructors with real-world experience who have a knack for passing their knowledge along to students. Students leave our courses with technical expertise and tools for taking their businesses and careers to the next level.

How do HeatSpring online courses work?

Our online courses maximize flexibility and convenience while providing access to world-class instructors. Courses vary in length from free short courses to paid courses with ten or more modules packed with assignments. The assignments (videos, reading, quizzes, example problems, projects, etc.) and discussion board are organized into modules so you and your fellow students will be on the same general schedule. Aside from that, you are on your own to complete the assignments at your own pace.

How often do instructors check in on courses?

We offer two main types of courses at HeatSpring and they both have different levels of instructor interaction.

All HeatSpring courses are contiuously updated by the expert instructor as needed. After enrolling students can access future updates to the course as well. After your year of access to the course expires, you can optionally join as a HeatSpring member to extend your access and continue to receive updated content from the expert.

Instructor-led Courses

Our instructor-led courses are created and led by expert instructors. In these courses, instructors utilize discussion boards to interact with students. It varies by instructor and by course but typically instructors check in between daily and weekly to check quiz results or project work, review and respond to discussion board questions and read survey responses. Check the enrollment page for specific information about each instructor's check-in frequency.

Self-serve Courses

Self-serve courses are built by expert instructors and are intended to be self-serve for students. Instructors are involved to update content and review surveys, but generally do not interact with students.
 

Are there prerequisites for your courses?

There are no prerequisites required for any of our courses, even though most of them go into very advanced topics. We believe people learn in different ways and sometimes being thrown in 'over your head' is the way to go for a person or particular subject.

If you are unsure where to start, just contact us and we'd be happy to give you recommendations on what courses would be good for you based on your individual background and interests.

What happens if I enroll in a course and need to cancel?

As explained in our Refund Policy and Terms we do not provide refunds. If you are unhappy with our services for some reason let us know and we will work to make it better. Depending upon our assessment of the circumstances of your dissatisfaction, we may allow you to use some portion of your payment as a credit towards a different course.

If you enroll in the wrong course by mistake please contact us immediately before accessing any course materials.

Compare: Solar Executive MBA Training VS Financial Modeling for Solar PV Projects

Solar Financial Modeling Courses

Our two most popular courses on solar finance are the Solar Executive MBA Training and Financial Modeling for Solar PV Projects. Both of these courses are taught by finance and legal expert Chris Lord, and the Solar Executive MBA Training is co-taught by solar business expert Keith Cronin.

We get a lot of questions about these courses, and many students want to compare the two. Often students take both of these courses as part of our Solar Finance Professional Certificate program.

First, let's review what both courses have in common:

For both courses:

  • Participants get access to all content upon enrollment and for 1 full year after enrollment.
  • The instructors answer questions on the discussion board and review required project work
  • They are both intensive online courses intended for experienced professionals in the industry.
  • An Excel financial model tool is included in the course materials and used for your project work. Each model is quite detailed (breakdown of costs, production, etc), but, more importantly, the models give you the tools and understanding to add any additional details you need.
  • International students are welcome! Approximately 20-30% of the content is specific to the United States. The remaining 70-80% would apply to any location internationally. The instructors are very open and supportive of international students and projects.

Next, let's focus on the differences. The content is completely different in both courses, and the financial models used are also different. Other differences include:

Solar Executive MBA Training view detailed outline

  • 6 modules
  • Co-taught by Chris Lord and Keith Cronin
  • Financial model is a little simpler but you get to learn more about the drivers behind tax equity, Modified Accelerated Cost Recovery System (MACRS) depreciation, and investment tax credit (ITC). 
  • Inputs for the model are geared a bit more toward a commercial-scale project, but the size can be scaled up or down as necessary.
  • This is an advanced course, but it does have more introductory content intended for students who may have experience in solar or finance but desire a better understanding of how commercial solar projects are developed, structured, and financed.
  • Also includes content related to selling, creating proposals, organizing your team, and increasing the profit margins of your projects.


Financial Modeling for Solar PV Projects view detailed outline

  • 5 modules
  • Taught by Chris Lord
  • Financial model has more detail and is done as a quarterly model (a little more complex) and includes a more complex partnership flip model.
  • Inputs for the model are geared a bit more toward a utility-scale project, but the size can be scaled up or down as necessary.
  • Content focuses a little less on the technical/legal issues behind the tax equity investment. 
  • More advanced content intended for students who already have a good general understanding of how solar projects are developed, structured, and financed.

Solar Finance Professional Certificate view more info

Complete both courses and earn your Solar Finance Masters Series Certificate. If you take both courses, we recommend starting with the Solar Executive MBA Training. Enroll in our series package for additional savings.
 

Do I have to pay for the class up front, or can I pay in installments?

If you prefer to pay in installments, we provide financing and payment plan options at checkout. Just click the "take this course" button for the course you would like to enroll in and instead of using the credit card option, choose the "Klarna" option for installment payment plans with a simple account setup and instant approval. Once approved you will be redirected back to the checkout session and enrolled in the course.

Klarna

Klarna gives customers a range of payment options during checkout. Available payment options vary depending on the customer’s billing address and the transaction amount. In the US, Klarna offers a 4-payment plan as well as a longer term financing option. Klarna is available in the United States and Canada and also in a growing list of other countries.

If the course you want to take is out of reach financially you can also apply for financial aid using this link: https://www.heatspring.com/financial-aid

Financial aid applications are reviewed weekly so you'll receive a response pretty quickly. Heads up that we don't approve requests for full tuition.

How do OSHA 10, OSHA 30, and other safety courses with ClickSafety work?

How It Works for OSHA 10 and OSHA 30

  1. Students will purchase OSHA 10 or OSHA 30 on HeatSpring.
  2. Because students only have 6 months to complete OSHA courses (per OSHA guidelines), students will complete the course registration confirmation in the classroom on HeatSpring when they are ready to begin.
  3. HeatSpring will enroll students in their course via ClickSafety. 
  4. Students will receive 2 emails – one generic email welcoming them to ClickSafety and another with their ClickSafety login credentials and course registration confirmation.
  5. Upon course completion, ClickSafety will provide Certificates of Completion. For U.S. residents, ClickSafety will mail out official Department of Labor/OSHA cards.  

How It Works for All Other Non-OSHA Safety Courses

  1. Students will purchase a safety course from HeatSpring
  2. Within one business day, HeatSpring will enroll students in their course via ClickSafety. 
  3. Students will receive 2 emails – one generic email welcoming them to ClickSafety and another with their ClickSafety login credentials and course registration confirmation.
  4. Course access is indefinite, so students can complete their courses as they are able.
  5. Upon course completion, ClickSafety will provide Certificates of Completion. 

All ClickSafety courses will completed on the ClickSafety platform, not within the HeatSpring platform.

Note that OSHA 10 and OSHA 30 must be fully completed within 6 months of enrollment, per OSHA guidelines. All other safety course have no expiration date.

Are there captions on HeatSpring course videos?

Yes! In mid-2023, HeatSpring's video hosting partner started to offer captions on all videos hosted there.

All videos uploaded after that update automatically have captions. Videos before that update are getting manually added by the HeatSpring team.

If there is a course where you need captions and we haven't updated it yet, please let us know at support@heatspring.com, so we can expedite the caption process.

 

Can HeatSpring help me find a new job?

While we love to help our students get skilled up, HeatSpring does not provide job placement services. Still, there are tons of great career resources at your disposal. Check out the following job board links if you are looking to get into a new climate action job:

Renewable Energy and Climate Jobs

Solar Jobs

Home Energy 

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